Universal Health Care: Is Senate Bill 840 too good to be true?

By Kevin Uhrich

As health care costs continue to spiral out of the financial reach of average citizens, state Sen. Sheila Kuehl is sponsoring legislation that would provide universal health coverage for every resident of California, regardless of their ability to pay.

Sound too good to be true? Perhaps.

Is it about time? Absolutely, says Jackie Knowles of the League of Women Voters Pasadena Area, which is presenting a public forum on March 2 on Kuehl’s legislation.

The forum, which is being co-sponsored by a number of religious, legal and social service organizations, is at 7 p.m. at the Community Education Center, 3035 E. Foothill Blvd., Pasadena

“I know it sounds too good to be true. That’s why we want people to come to this forum. We want to hear what questions other people might ask,” said Knowles, a former writer for the Pasadena Star-News.

“The League of Women Voters considers this to be right on a par with women’s suffrage; a cause to crusade for,” said Knowles. “Every person in California owes it to themselves to learn everything they can about this bill.”

Co-sponsors of tonight’s forum include the Pasadena Senior Advocacy Council, the Neighborhood Unitarian Universalist Church, the Southern California Ecumenical Council, the San Gabriel Valley Pharmacists Association, Health Care for All Los Angeles, Move-On-Pasadena, the NAACP, the Latino Issues Forum and the ACLU.

Introduced in 2004 by Kuehl, a Democrat from Santa Monica, SB 840 has passed the Senate and has cleared the Assembly Health Committee. Presently, the bill requires language that addresses the funding mechanisms that would cover the medical, dental, optical and other health needs of each Californian.

Hundreds of consumer, labor, civic and faith-based organizations are rallying together to support the bill. Insurance companies and brokers and chambers of commerce are lining up against it.

SB 840 would establish a nonprofit insurance plan to reduce administration costs. A single insurer would be chosen and each person could choose their own physicians and other health care providers. By comparison, Kaiser uses a single insurance plan, as does the Veterans Administration and Medicare.

Kuehl’s research indicates such a plan could save California taxpayers $5 billion a year by cutting prescription drug and medical equipment costs.

In addition, each person would be covered for life, even if they have a pre-existing condition. In addition, all services, drugs, hospital stays, therapies and medical equipment would also be covered.

Kuehl’s bill would establish the position of Health Czar, a nonpartisan elected Commissioner of Health who would serve no more than two 8-year terms, a Health Policy Board and a network of consumer advocates, including community-based Partnerships for Health to identify and help solve local service problems.

Ample parking is available under the power lines on the west side of the Community Education Center, which is located between Sunnyslope and Santa Paula avenues. The fee is 75 cents to park for the entire evening.